I'm scared to post this, but the whole point behind it is to inspire vulnerability, so fuck it. ? I was diagnosed with PTSD two years ago today. It took three docs till I finally accepted this diagnosis. One Doc in particular reached across the table, grabbed my hand and said "you're loved by a lot of people, you need to learn to ask for help". This moment changed my life. The first person I called to ask for help was my miracle of a friend, Rey. She came up with a plan of escape, taught me the magic of prayer, and held my hand the whole way trough- she's one of many of my angels. The next 5 months or so after that day were a living hell unless I was at Lula. I lost 15 pounds in 4 weeks, couldn't get on a freeway, or an elevator. I was terrified of everything. I had muscle twitches all over my body, lost sleep for days at a time, and had terrible panic attacks. Then my nervous system would begin to attack itself to the point where it actually felt like earthquakes. Nothing was in fact moving- it was all anxiety. So I fought for self. Through art, through healers, through Lula, through meditation. But most importantly through asking for and accepting love from my friends and family. My customers and vendors made a difference in my life daily without even knowing. All of these people combined are what saved my life. This is not a sad story, nor do you need to know what happened to me to cause my PTSD. All you need to know is that our fears are gifts because they are opportunities to grow. And our anxieties are our minds/bodies way of letting us know we need to fight for self and face those fears. ? These have been the greatest two years of my life. Last years anniversary I had "me before you" "love greater than fear" put on my fingers to remind me to not let anyone fuck with me or my big ass heart. There are terrible people in this world, but they can never destroy the good ones. I love my life, I truly do. I will always try to let love be greater than fear and I hope you all do too. ? Fear and anxiety are natures reminder that allowing yourself to feel, give love, and be loved, is always a less terrifying way to live life. I'm grateful today. ❤️